


I'm Always Listening

by IridescentDayDreamer



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Arranged Marriage, Dark Rey, Erased Memory, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Force Bond, Heavy Sarcasm, Jedi Rey, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren has a sense of humor, Reylo - Freeform, Through the Years, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Visions, Young Ben Solo, Young Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-13 03:51:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14741498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IridescentDayDreamer/pseuds/IridescentDayDreamer
Summary: In the beginning, Rey thought she had imagined the voice. It was so quiet, barely a whisper to her young ears. She followed it in what seemed like a daze, not knowing it would eventually lead her to the most dangerous person in the galaxy.In the end, Rey thought she had imagined the voice. But it was so loud, screaming at her to stay, begging her not to leave. It took all of her strength to turn away from the man it belonged to, but it was time to lay these things to rest. He begged her one last time, "please."





	1. Prologue - In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! I have never written any kind of fic in my whole life so please be patient and tell me if you like/dislike/or have any suggestions for me! This is going to be a multi-chapter fic.

**Prologue:**

**In the Beginning**

In the beginning, Rey thought she had imagined the voice. It was so quiet, barely a whisper to her young ears. She didn't know how old she was, but she guessed she was around 16 standard years. More than 10 years she had been alone, patiently awaiting the return of her family. She sat alone in her AT-AT, humming along to the memory of a song that had long been forgotten. It was late in the night, but for some reason she just couldn't sleep. She had felt restless for the days prior, like she was supposed to be doing something but couldn't quite remember what. She was beginning to think that she was becoming ill, with instability and doubt creeping into her waking thoughts. She had always heard that staying on Jakku for too long can cause a person to become mad, but now she was starting to believe it.

It had started slowly. She awoke in the middle of the night, breathing heavily and covered in a sheen of sweat. A feeling of dread was suffocating her. She had thought that it was a nightmare, but she couldn't remember anything about the dream. She sat upright and tried to clear her head, but the terror that had seized her chest was still wrapped tight around her heart. Her mind felt muddled, like it didn't belong to her. She shook her head and looked around her AT- AT. Nothing seemed out of place, but she suddenly got the feeling that her mind wasn't even there with her. That was when it began. Just a simple nightmare. It crept into her mind in the night, but followed her well into the waking hours.

She went to work the next day, digging through the remains of a long lost star destroyer that went down in the war. The emotions had started as soon as she had awaken. She stepped out of the star destroyer and fumbled with her staff, which slipped and fell to the ground. This small inconvenience sent her into a flying rage. She picked up her staff and directed her fury onto the leftover ship. She lashed out until she could barely feel her arms anymore. Then, she turned and walked back home. She sat awake again tonight, but as her rage gave way, it left her feeling a deep and intense longing. She had always awaited the return of her family. She had always been patient and understanding, trying to make up reasons why her family might have left her behind. Perhaps her family was in trouble and needed to hide her until it was safe again. Perhaps her family had been taken away, and just hadn't been able to come back for her yet. She always had this longing, but it suddenly overwhelmed her. Her heart felt like it was physically aching in her chest. Never before had she felt such intense emotions, especially not the emotions of rage. This is the night everything changed. It was quiet, so quiet that she almost missed it. The voice whispered across her AT-AT.

"Please."

She sat up frantically, wondering if the voice was a product of her imagination. Perhaps her desperate longing had made up a voice in her mind as a way to trick her. She listened intently, hoping to hear the voice again. Should she speak back to the voice? Would that make her crazy? Maybe the heat was getting to her. She waited a long two minutes, counting the seconds by. No other whispers came. She sat against the side panel of her AT-AT, eyes peeled and ready to strike if someone made themselves known. No one ever came. She closed her eyes, begging for sleep. Sleep never came, either. It eluded her these last few nights, ever since the first nightmare. She begin to hum another long forgotten song from her childhood, hoping to lull herself back to sleep. After what she assumed was the longest hour in existence, she began to feel the familiar pull of sleep. She closed her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest. As she started to slip out of consciousness, it happened again.

"Please."

Rey stood up in a panic. She was crazy. She had to be. There is no other explanation for hearing voices. No one was here with her, in the middle of the Jakku desert. It was always ever her, alone. She looked around the AT- AT, for any sign that she wasn't alone. No signs came. She lit a candle so she could get a better grip on reality. She let her mind began to wander. If her mind had made this voice up, perhaps she could speak back to it. If it was all in her mind, maybe that wouldn't be so unnatural. Tentatively, she tried to reach out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?," she called out. She waited patiently, but no reply came. She listened harder. Maybe she couldn't hear a reply due to the desert winds. Minutes passed, with no sound. She tried again.

"I'm here, I heard your whisper. Please answer me."

She began to give up hope. Her mind was getting the better of her. She knew that no reply would come, but she was desperate for someone, anyone, to show her that she was not alone. She sat back down against the panel and picked up her doll. It was the only friend she had, patched together by rags and riches she had found while plundering. She looked longingly at the doll.

"Were you the one speaking to me, dolly? You're my favorite person in the whole galaxy so far." Rey felt silly. A 16 year old girl hoping that her scrappy doll would suddenly come to life and speak with her. She knew that she had mentally trapped herself on this deserted planet. She could make a life somewhere else. She could have a chance to better herself. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to leave Jakku, no matter how bad things became. She needed to be here in case her family came back for her. Ten years. Ten years she had waited, alone, for anyone to come for her. Her mind was tricking her, reminding her again that there was no one left to come. She was losing hope. She held the doll close and slipped back into a fitful sleep, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.

What seemed like hours later, Rey opened her eyes. She felt like she hadn't slept at all. She looked around her home. It was still night outside. The candle that she had lit earlier was almost fully diminished now. She still had the doll clutched firmly against her chest. She still had a feeling of longing deep in her chest. She closed her eyes and willed sleep to take her again. That's when she felt it. A stirring in the air. It was subtle, so minute that she almost didn't catch it. She sat up quickly, almost stumbling over.

"Is anyone there?" she asked. She waited, mentally pleading for a response. Seconds ticked by. She could hear her heart beating erratically in her chest. She looked at the candle flickering away in the corner, almost burnt out of light. Then, she heard it. It came again as a whisper.

".....Who are you? You aren't real. Who are you, girl?" The voice sounded frantic, like it was in disbelief. She shook her head. Did she imagine this, too? She looked around in search for the source. No one was with her. The voice said she wasn't real. Wasn't it the other way around? She was the real one, and the voice was make believe.

"I'm Rey, who are you? Why can I hear you? Where are you?" She waited for a reply. Two minutes went by, then five, then ten. She wasn't going to receive any answers it seems. Her heart ached. She knew she wasn't imagining things. She rubbed her temples and thought about the encounter. Why was she trying to talk to this stranger? She has always been weary of others, but she should be especially weary of possibly imaginary voices that talk to her, shouldn't she? Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed the scene that played out in front of her.

A mist began to settle across the AT- AT from her. She backed against the panel and grabbed her staff. It began to thicken into a more solid presence. Was the person finally going to show themselves to her? She leaned forward, hoping that if she got closer, the mist would become more real. Then, out of thin air, a boy appeared. No, not a boy, This was a man. A young man, but a man none the less.

She tensed, but tried not to move. He sat cross-legged on the floor, his long dark hair hanging in his face. She could barely make out his features, the candle quickly dwindling before him. She blinked rapidly, wondering if he would disappear if she closed her eyes. He snapped his head towards her in a panic. She jerked backwards at the same time he lunged towards her. She squeezed her eyes closed hoping that whatever pain was about to fall upon her would fall quickly and swiftly. But nothing came. She stayed tense, prepared for the worst. That's when she heard it again. This time, it was clearer, more solid, and shockingly close to her.

"My name is Ben. Ben Solo."

She heard an intake of breath and realized it was her own. His voice was shaking, almost as if he were frightened to say his own name aloud. She let out the breath in a long exhale. She could feel his strong presence near her. He was taking up all of the oxygen in the room, suffocating her with his closeness. She suddenly felt a breath against her and stepped backwards, but there was nowhere to go. She was up against the wall, backed into a corner.

"My name. My name is Ben. And you, you are Rey?" It was a whisper again. Cautious to fall on her ears.

Rey opened her eyes only to drown in his.

"Ben." She whispered it just as he did, and she watched as he dissolved into nothingness and disappeared.

 


	2. Are You With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's Side of Things

**Are You With Me?**

Ben sat up in his bed, waiting for the ringing in his ears to stop. The voice in his head was becoming a constant, plaguing him with alternate realities of what could be. His Uncle Luke had started to watch him closely, just waiting for any sign that Ben was slipping into the darkness. The Skywalker name was a curse. Everyone looked at them like they were destined for greatness. Except for when they looked at Ben. They looked at him like he was a disease, ready to infect those around him with the dark. Ben knew they were waiting on him to crack. His parents had sent him to his Uncle Luke, hoping to stomp out the darkness before it escalated. How naïve. The voice in his head had been with him for as long as he could remember. He tried and tried but couldn't shake it. His own father was terrified of him, he knew something wasn't quite right in Ben's mind. All Ben wanted was for his parents to see him. To open their eyes and see that he was suffocating in the darkness. It was drowning him, and he was losing the strength to try to swim out of it. It had gotten worse lately. He was starting to give in to the commands of the voice, to see what the darkness had to offer him. He had always resisted, until now. Now, he greeted the darkness like an old friend. His only friend. The darkness had offered him greatness, a chance to finish what his grandfather could not. A power so raw that everyone would bow at his feet. His parents, his uncle, everyone. They were already scared of what he was becoming, so why not speed along the process?

It happened two days ago. The hijacking of his mind. The voice was commanding him, trying to force its way into Ben's mind. He just wanted to sleep. For once, he just wanted to sleep. He knew if he closed his eyes that the voice would slip into his head, and then all of his secrets would be known. He tried to reason with himself the pros and cons of accepting the darkness, and the darkness won out in every different scenario. Ben took a long look at himself in the mirror. He had dark circles under his eyes that seemed to go on for miles. His skin was pale and clammy. He looked at his eyes. They were the eyes of his mother. The only thing he had inherited from her. When was the last time he had spoken to her? He couldn't even remember what her voice sounded like, it had been so long. Ben felt the bitterness creeping into his emotions. He didn't need his mother. He didn't need anyone but himself. Ben let down his mental barriers before he could give it too much thought. A coldness crept into his mind, leisurely caressing him.

"Young Solo, we finally meet at last," the voice said.

Ben looked around, but he was all alone. Always alone. The coldness wrapped around him tighter and he started to struggle for air. Ben felt the caress against his mind once more, asking for permission to dig further.

"Let me in, boy. I won't hurt you. I am your friend." But Ben didn't have any friends. He didn't have anyone. He looked around for the voice to materialize but nothing came. He could only see the darkness, a black, cold, suffocating darkness.

"Follow me this way boy, I want to show you what I could offer you," the voice said. Ben wandered aimlessly, his legs taking him where he needed to go. He walked further into the darkness, following the whispers of his new friend, until he came to a wide chasm. He looked over the edge but nothing was to be seen.

"What's down there?" he asked the voice.

"Greatness, my apprentice. Look further and you will see what you could have, if you were by my side."

"Show yourself to me. I want to see who you are first," Ben whispered.

"Do not doubt me, young apprentice. Do you think this galaxy was meant to wield your weight? You? The heir apparent to Lord Vader. The Skywalkers have put your blood to waste. You were meant for greatness, and I will mold you into it. You are nothing but weak now, your doubt is a failure by design. We must polish you into perfection."

Ben looked around for anything to tell him what to do. He was still alone. He turned back towards the chasm, closed his eyes, and stepped off into the darkness.

Ben was waiting to crash into the ground, but it never came. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was standing in an open field, watching a war rage around him. His hands were covered in dark leather gloves, stained with a crimson dampness. Hundreds of stormtroopers were scattered around him, waiting for someone to command them into action.

"Lord Ren, how would you like us to proceed?" Ben jerked his head up towards the modulated voice.

He looked at the trooper with confusion. What did he call him? Lord Ren? He turned in a circle, seeing other stormtroopers gathering around him.

"Do whatever you see fit," he said. The trooper nodded and stepped away, drawing the blaster up and aiming it at the gathered village.

"And what of the prisoner sir?"

Ben looked around to see a young man with a pilot's jacket struggling against the hold of two troopers. He stepped closer and kneeled in front of the man.

"Who talks first? You talk first? I talk first?"

Suddenly the scene changed before Ben. He found himself looking out into the stars. Watching as a beam of light cut across the galaxy, aiming to destroy everything in its path. As it made contact, the world ripped apart into nothingness, as if it never even existed.

"Sir, the general has located the droid. Should we prepare your ship?"

"Yes, I will be ready for departure soon," he replied.

The scene changed again. Ben found himself wielding a lightsaber, the energy crackling menacingly. It was unstable, the crystal fractured, just like his soul. He felt the sudden surge of another saber wrenching through the force and turned on his heel, raising his own saber just in time to connect with another. A young girl stared up at him, eyes frenzied with hatred. She pushed against him, but he overpowered her and knocked her backwards. She came at him again, screaming with rage. When his saber connected with hers again, he looked at her with earnest. She had intense eyes, hazel and determined. He wasn't certain who she was, but she felt so familiar. He studied her, trying to memorize the determination etched there, the color of her eyes, the set of her brow, the freckles planted across her face.

"You need a teacher," he heard himself say. "I can show you the ways of the force!" The girl faltered in consideration.

"The force," she stammered.

The scene changed again. He suddenly was in a small room that seemed to be moving. The girl was in front of him again, with a look of longing on her face. The doors opened and he dropped her onto a throne room floor, waiting to face judgment from his master. His master sat on the throne, looking at Ben with such appreciation and gratitude. Had anyone ever looked at him like that? Like he was the missing piece to a grander plan.

"My worthy apprentice, son of darkness, heir apparent of Lord Vader. Where there was conflict, I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training, and fulfill your destiny!" his master said.

"I know what I have to do," he heard his voice answer.

The scene shifted again. He was kneeling in the same room, looking up at his master.

"The mighty Kylo Ren. When I found you, I saw what all great masters live to see. Raw, untamed power. And beyond that, something truly special, the potential of your bloodline! A new Vader," his master said.

Ben looked at his master with hope and appreciation. His master, who was so willing to welcome him, to train him, with open arms. The only one to see his true potential, his desire for a greater power.

Ben suddenly was wrenched backwards into reality. He looked at the ceiling, his limbs feeling heavy and burdensome. He was sprawled against a dark floor, thrown back out of the chasm and onto the floor of his mind. His master's voice surrounded him.

"You see, young Solo. It is time for you to start your training for greatness. I have shown you what you could have, the power, the respect that you will have. It is time for you to train with your true master, my young apprentice. Kylo Ren, master of the knights of Ren, apprentice to Supreme Leader of the First Order. It is your time for greatness. Listen for my instructions."

Ben woke up hyperventilating. He couldn't draw in a breath, no matter how tightly he clutched at his chest. What just happened? Was that real? All of those people, they feared him. They feared his power. That is what he wanted, to be feared for his powers. And his new master, Snoke, tempted him with things he could have. The appreciation he deserved. And he would have it, no matter the cost. He would play these Jedi games until his true master called on him. He would not fail someone who helped him reach his true potential. He would make his master proud.

Ben tried to pick himself up off of the floor, but his head felt like it was being split in half. He clutched his head in his hands, shuddering with nausea.

"Please," he begged. He didn't know who he was speaking to, he just hoped that anyone, anything would ease this splitting pain.

"Please," he tried again.

"Is anyone there?" he heard. He gripped his head harder, hoping that adding more pain would help him concentrate on what had just happened. He drug himself into a sitting position and looked around. He seemed to be alone. Was that a girl? Surely not. None of his fellow padawans would dare come into his quarters, especially not a girl. They didn't care what happened to him. They thought he was a freak.

"Who are you? You aren't real. Who are you, girl?" He said it in a rush, the pain keeping him from being able to say anything else. He sounded panicked, even to his own ears. He tried to sit cross-legged, hoping meditation would help him clear his mind.

"I'm Rey, who are you? Why can I hear you? Where are you?" She sounded scared. Was she scared of him? She should be. Most days he was scared of himself. He saw a movement directly in front of him.

The girl suddenly appeared. He looked at her face, the freckles reminding him of the girl from Snoke's visions. He could see her preparing to bolt. He lunged at her as she turned to run. She had nowhere to go, and her back hit the wall behind her. She had her eyes squeezed tightly shut, as if it would make him disappear. He studied her face. It was her, the girl in the visions. Her freckles were even more beautiful in real life. She looked much younger now, so he assumed the visions he had been shown were from far into the future. He studied her face, watching as she bit down hard on her bottom lip. Her lashes were long and fluttering against her cheeks. He could feel her force energy radiating with intensity, drawing his own towards her. He leaned closer, wanting to touch her, to see if she was real. He let out a deep exhale, and she shivered as she shivered as it brushed against her face.

"My name is Ben. Ben Solo."

Her sharp intake of breath made him freeze. Was she reacting to his name? His voice? Did she know who his mother was? He braced himself for the worst possible reaction. She didn't move. He tried again, gentler this time. Calmer. He let out another deep breath. She tensed beneath the motion.

"My name. My name is Ben. And you, you are Rey?" he whispered. The pain was threatening to take him under and he pleaded with the force to carry his words to her.

Her eyes snapped open and he gazed shell-shocked into the hazel eyes that pierced him in his visions. He went to reach for her face. He just wanted to feel if she was real. Just one touch. 

"Ben," she whispered. Her voice froze him in his tracks. He couldn't move. Her mouth was parted, and he stared at her full lips, wondering if he had just imagined the way his name fell out of her mouth. He stared at her lips for a moment too long and felt a shiver in the force. Their eyes connected just as she dissolved into nothingness and disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for chapter two! Let me know what you think! I'm halfway done with chapter three so it should be posted sometime soon!


	3. Mess is Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How did they get into this mess? And how do they get out?

**Mess is Mine**

Rey stood in the silence of her AT-AT, still reeling from her encounter with the boy. He had disappeared almost as soon as she had opened her eyes, but she was certain of a few things. First, this boy was not like others. He had an edge to him, a danger that made her want to know more. Second, this boy was hurt. Rey hadn't seen many boys her age on Jakku, and the ones she did see where just trying to survive by whatever means necessary. This boy, Ben, he had said, seemed like he was around her age, but he looked like he had lived a thousand years. Rey tried to remember the exact way he looked. When she had opened her eyes and took him in, she had seen more than she was supposed to. His eyes looked haunted, like a ghost had been keeping him awake for ages. But they were mesmerizing. A greenish brown, with honey tones freckled around them. Rey thought she was going to drown in them if she looked any longer. She remembered his dark hair was thrown in disarray, going in every different direction. And she remembered he was tall, so tall that he would easily tower over her small frame. He had spoken to her. That means he was real, right? He had told her his name. She struggled for words when she had heard his voice. It was always a whisper, like it was meant only for her ears. Would he appear again? Rey hoped so. She had a million questions that needed to be answered. For now, it was time to play a waiting game.

Rey leaned back against the panel and willed herself to sleep. It was only a few short hours until daylight, and work would still be waiting for her when she woke again. She fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of the brown eyes that she had only just met.

When morning finally came, Rey got ready to start her day. She inspected her entire home, etching every detail into her mind so she could compare it to when she got back home. Checking that everything was in place, Rey set off towards the fallen ship. She tied off a rope and used it to help her climb to the upper levels of the ship, hoping that they would be sturdy enough to hold her weight. She spent all day scavenging the same location as before, hoping to find something that the others may have missed. As the day was drawing to a close, Rey packed her findings to take them to Unkar Plutt to bargain. She threw her bag over her shoulders and started towards the rope to get back down to the main floor. Right as she went to shimmy back down the rope, she felt a sharp pain in her side, as if someone had hit her repeatedly. Her grip loosened on the rope and she began to fall. Knowing that if she hit the bottom she'd be be gravely injured, she tried to catch herself on the rope. Rey just barely managed to tighten her grip before she hit the ground. She landed with a sharp thud and felt all of the air leave her lungs. She rolled herself over and tried desperately to catch her breath. What the kriff was that? She felt around on her side and realized it was tender and slightly bruised. How was that possible? She hadn't been doing anything that would cause an injury like this. Rey decided to go back to her AT-AT to rest, her bargaining could wait until the morning.

Back in the safety of her home, Rey propped herself up against the wall and ate a portion left over from the prior day. Her side was beginning to purple, and ached just to touch it. She groaned and rolled onto her back, hoping that lying flat would help ease the pain. Rey closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Ben woke on the floor of his quarters. He must have passed out after his encounter with the girl. He rolled over and reached out with the force. Nothing was unusual but he could feel a presence in his mind. Was that his new master?

"Master?"

"Yes, my young apprentice. I will be watching you at times and directing you on your training. You must not let the others know that I am here with you," said Snoke.

"Yes, Master. What would you have me do today?"

"Do whatever Skywalker demands. Let him think you are still his Padawan. I can only direct you from afar for now. We will progress your training in the future," said Snoke.

"Master, I have some questions about the visions you shown me. They were the future, weren't they? Who was the girl from the visions?" Ben asked.

"She is the enemy. A nobody. She will try to take everything that you will work to perfect, just like the others. You must not focus on her," Snoke commanded.

With that, the presence disappeared back into darkness. Ben's mind was reeling. He wanted to know more about the girl. He wanted to begin his training with Snoke, not follow these silly routines that his Uncle made up. Ben got up and showered. Then he headed out into the atrium to begin his training for the day.

Ben noticed his Uncle watching him immediately. He tried to appear calm and at ease, but he knew his thoughts were racing still.

"Nice of you to join us, Ben. Next time, be here when you're supposed to, like the rest of your peers. As I was saying, today we will be practicing our preferred lightsaber techniques one on one," Luke said.

Ben was paired with the one boy who disliked him the most out of all the other padawans. Tyrion. Tyrion's father worked with Ben's mother. He was the perfect example of everything that Ben should be, and he despised Ben for being gifted such a noble place in society but turning away from it. They sat up across from each other, preparing to fight. The boy sneered at Ben.

"Your uncle isn't even watching, maybe I'll finally get to mare that pretty boy face of yours," Tyrion sneered.

"Let us find out, shall we?"

The presence arose in Ben's mind again. "Show him no mercy, my apprentice."

The boy lunged at Ben, aiming for his head. Ben side stepped him and brought his saber down across the boy's back. If it weren't just a practice saber, the boy probably wouldn't be walking away from the injury. The boy picked himself back up and flew at Ben again. Ben blocked his blow and came down on him with as much strength as he could. Tyrion fell backwards onto the ground, but Ben attacked him further. He landed a blow to the side of the boy's head and faintly heard the boy yelling "yield." He landed two more blows on the boy and then stepped backwards and dropped his practice saber. Tyrion got up and spit blood out of his mouth.

"Do you not know what yield means, Solo? Or did you just not care?" Tyrion yelled.

Ben turned on his heel and stalked back to the boy. Right before he reached him, another boy grabbed Ben from behind and tried to subdue him. Tyrion knocked Ben's feet out from under him and he fell to his side just as Tyrion landed a kick to his stomach. Ben tried to knock Tyrion backwards with the force, but the second boy grabbed his arms and held him down. Ben struggled against his hold and Tyrion kicked him repeatedly until he stopped moving. Ben felt the breath leave him in a rush. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to the maker that it would end soon. Right before he passed out, he felt the familiar presence slip back in.

"You have much to learn, Kylo Ren. We will rid you of this weakness soon enough," Snoke said.

* * *

 

When Ben opened his eyes again, he was in his quarters. There was a large patch applied to his side, but he felt stiff and weak. Weak, just like his master said. Ben sat up and surveyed the damage. It would heal soon enough, though it would leave a lasting impression on his pride. He tried to stand but winced as the pain shot through him. Then he heard a long groan and whipped around to find the source. There, lying on her side in the corner of his quarters was the girl from his visions.

Ben stepped towards Rey to get a better look. Was she asleep? Why is she groaning?

"Rey... are you okay?" he asked. Rey lifted herself as much as she could manage and shifted to look at him.

"Rey, what happened?" She looked him up and down, surveying his shirtless form. He turned and grabbed a shirt from his shelves, suddenly self-conscious.

"You, you're injured? How?" She growled at him. He held his hands up to her to show her he meant no harm and stepped towards her.

"Just a little altercation during my training. It's nothing of importance," he said.

"It may not be important to you, but it is important to me, seeing as I acquired the same exact injury thanks to you!" she yelled.

"What? That isn't even possible!" he whispered.

"Don't you tell me what is and isn't possible, Ben Solo! How is it possible that you're popping up in the middle of the Jakku desert to speak to me? None of this is possible! What did you do to me?" she screamed.

"I didn't do this, Rey. I promise I didn't do this. The force is connecting us somehow. I tried to ask my master but he wouldn't answer my questions. I'll find out what this is and we'll fix it." Rey stared at him for a long time, taking in his features. She shifted up so she was facing him directly.

"The force?? What if this can't be fixed? What if we're stuck with each other?" she whispered.

"Would that be so bad? To be stuck with me?"

"I don't know. I've always been alone here." Rey said, honestly. She's been alone for as long as she could remember. No one ever came back for her. No one ever stayed with her.

"You're not alone, Rey."

Rey locked eyes with Ben and held her hand out towards him. He stepped forward and sat down on the floor of his quarters, leaning in closer to her. Tentatively, he held his hand out and closed the distance between the two of them. His fingers brushed against hers, in the smallest of caresses.

"Neither are you," she whispered.


	4. What Were You Thinking?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke needs to mind his own business.

**What Were You Thinking?**

Luke Skywalker knew that he was being hard on his nephew, but time was dwindling. He had noticed a shift in Ben in the recent weeks. Ben had always been temperamental, but it was getting worse. He was becoming more impulsive, more reckless. Luke had intended to slip into Ben's quarters in the night and delve into his mind in hopes of finding something, anything that Luke could use to derail Ben from the path that he was on. Luke had a vision, weeks prior. He had seen his nephew defecting to the dark side, in the very footsteps on his grandfather Darth Vader. They had tried to keep the secrets of Vader from Ben, but he had proven to be most curious as a child. He would probe anyone and everyone's mind, looking for answers to find out why he is the way he is. But he never found any answers, just more of the family's hidden secrets. The night Luke had went to Ben's quarters, he hadn't found him asleep. In fact, he found quite the opposite. Ben, whispering to the shadows. Luke was just about to storm the room when he heard Ben whisper something odd.

"I didn't do this Rey. I promise I didn't do this. The force is connecting us somehow. I tried to ask my master but he wouldn't answer my questions. I'll find out what this is and we'll fix it." Luke didn't think he had ever heard Ben sound more passionate before. The boy was so earnest that Luke could feel the sincerity in his words.

"Would that be so bad, to be stuck with me? You're not alone, Rey."

Luke listened intently, wondering who this Rey was. Whoever they were, they seemed to be connected to Ben through the force. Could this be a force bond? Luke had a force bond with his sister Leia, but he had heard of tales of strangers bonding together as well. Luke had looked all over the galaxy for young force sensitives, surely he hadn't missed one. These days, there were so few left. It was important to keep them safe. In his mental questioning, he felt Ben's presence dim in the force. He listened for any signs of Ben stirring, and then stepped into the quarters. Ben was lying in the floor, with his head resting across his arm, soundly asleep.

Luke watched his nephew, careful not to make too many quick movements. He hadn't seen Ben sleep so deeply in what felt like ages. Ben had been plagued with nightmares from the dark for as long as he could remember. It was rare for him to sleep much at all, even though he tried desperately to hide it from his Uncle Luke.

Luke reached into Ben's mind as carefully as he could manage. As soon as he brushed against it, Ben stirred. Luke held still, waiting for it to pass. The first thought he reached in Ben's mind was cloaked in darkness. It was a whisper in Ben's mind, tattooing everything it touched with black. It was spreading lies to Ben, deceiving him with the potential power he could reach. He couldn't pick apart everything they said but the glimpses he could hear weren't promising.

"Peace is a lie, they look down on you, they hate you, they are envious of your power, we would take care of you, you are our family, you are everything to us," it whispered. Luke was sure that Ben believed it. He needed to talk to Leia as soon as possible. He decided to reach a little further, looking for any other signs of darkness. He brushed against a box in Ben's mind and it shook with violence, causing Luke to immediately recoil. He looked upon the box, trying to feel its emotions. It was shrouded in darkness, just like everything else in Ben's mind. But this box felt different. It was more solid, almost like a person. Could this be the master that Ben was talking about? Ben hadn't mentioned the girl to him, so he had to have another person who was guiding him. Anger washed over Luke at the thought. Luke would talk to Leia, they would make a plan.

Luke retreated from the corner of Ben's mind. As he pulled back, trying not to touch anything else, he caught sight of a glimmer hiding away. It was small, almost indistinguishable from all of the black inside his mind. He edged towards it carefully, trying not to scare it off. As he brushed against the light, he felt a flicker of hope inside. Curiosity got the best of him, and he couldn't help himself. He opened the box to find the memories of Ben's encounters with a young girl. This must be Rey, it had to be. He dipped into a random memory and felt Ben's enthusiasm and enlightenment that the girl brought out. He had never felt these emotions from Ben before, not even when he was a child. He watched as the girl reached towards Ben, saw as Ben reciprocated the action, and felt the spark that passed between the two. Luke fell out of the memory with a jerk. He retreated from Ben's mind and exited his quarters as quickly as he could.

* * *

Luke reached out to Leia in the force, pleading to the maker that she would hear him. Moments later, his comm channel lit up. Luke snatched it up as Leia's face appeared.

"Leia, it's much worse than we thought. Something dark has been corrupting him. Possibly for years. There's almost no light left. We need to do something."

"Luke, what can we do? We've been trying everything. He's just too far out of reach now. I'm afraid my son is almost gone."

"He's not gone yet, Leia. I think he's developed a force bond with a girl off planet. I don't know where she is, but it seemed to be a desert planet. Her name is Rey. She has been communicating with Ben much like we do. It is vital that we don't let the darkness get to the girl, Leia. She was the only beacon of light inside Ben's head. We have to keep it that way. We need to find her."

"We're on it, we'll find her. Don't let my son disappear, Luke. Please." Leia cut off the connection and Luke felt her hope and determination to find Rey. Whoever she was, she was the key to saving Ben from where he was destined to go. Luke would have to stall Ben's actions.

* * *

"Students, we're going to try something new today. I am going to try and teach you all how to block your mind from others. This is not something I would usually teach, but I feel that it is important for us all to protect our minds just as we would our bodies. Understood?" Luke shot a glance at Ben, who was glaring back at him with a look of absolute distrust.

"I want you all to picture the outskirts of your minds. Use the force, feel the boundaries and the corners of it. Feel for any cracks, any crevices that could be breached. You need to wrap yourself around it. Imagine that your building a wall in your mind. A dome, to trap the contents. You don't want anything getting in, but more importantly, you don't want anything getting out."

* * *

Ben knew this exercise was directed at him. What was Luke getting at? Did he know what was happening? He had decided not to participate at first, until he realized that Luke himself or other padawans could use this against him. He suddenly decided to pay close attention. He did as his Uncle instructed. He felt the sharp angles of his mind, and he felt many cracks along the edges, like they've been broken for a very long time. When he brushed against the cracks, he realized that the edges were jagged on the outside, like someone had chipped away the small barriers and let themselves in. How true that was. Ben started building around the edges, using the force to cement the walls around his mind. He was starting to shake with the effort, but he refused to stop until the deed was completely finished. He decided that come tomorrow, he would complete more walls, a layering to keep his Uncle out. As Ben cemented the rest of the walling, he sat back and found his Uncle watching him.

"Ben, are you going to participate or would you like the other students to demonstrate how easily they could breach your mind?"

"I've already finished," he ground the words out and hoped his Uncle could hear the venom.

"You can't be finished already, this takes practice Ben. If you rush the process then you end up missing things."

"Do it then, try to breach it. You won't succeed."

"Students, all of you, we're done for the day. Follow your normal schedules. I'd like to have a personal training day with Ben." The others got up quickly, not willing to question Master Skywalker. Except for Tyrion. He watched Ben with rapt attention. He sneered at Ben and turned on his heel, not looking back.

* * *

Luke turned on Ben with annoyance. Without warning, he dug into Ben's mind with as much force as he could. Ben fell backwards, gasping at the intrusion.

"Not very well protected now, are you Ben? I am trying to help you, to teach you these things because you need it. But you won't listen, Ben. Why don't you want to help yourself?"

Revulsion hit Ben in waves and he threw up all the walls he could in his mind. His Uncle was thrown out immediately and Luke stared at him, wide eyed and stunned.

"Do you think I need your help? I am not weak like you think I am! I can do this all without you, without any of you! This school is a joke. It is for weak-minded followers! Children who want to believe they are going to be just like the great Luke Skywalker. They are so naïve, just like you! I don't need you."

Luke carefully stood up and walked towards his nephew. He reached out to touch his shoulder, but Ben jerked away from him. Ben turned and went to walk away when his Uncle called out to him.

"Ben, you need to protect your mind. Whether you want to believe it or not, there are things like this than I can teach you. I don't think you're weak, but I think you are impressionable. It's important that you understand that the things the dark side is offering, they aren't real Ben. They are a part of a bigger ploy. The darkness uses people as a weapon, to destroy. And if you aren't careful, you will destroy all of the parts of yourself. Even the tiny light parts that you have hidden away in boxes, Ben. People are expendable to the dark side. Even extreme light side users, like the new friend you've made."

Ben turned so quickly that Luke stepped back in retreat. Ben threw his anger at his Uncle using the force, hoping to cause damage. Luke flew backwards and landed on his side by the cliffs edge. He turned, trying to quickly anticipate Ben's next attack. Ben stood over him menacingly. He crouched down so he was eye level with his uncle.

"Stay out of my head, Luke. Don't ever speak of her again or I will make you and everyone else here regret it. Do you understand?" Ben's voice was calm, but empty. Luke didn't even think it was his nephew he was speaking to. He opened his mouth to try to get through to Ben but decided against it. He knew Ben's anger would cloud any judgment he had.

"I understand, Ben."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Five should be posted today as well so stay put! Don't forget to leave a comment or kudos if you like/dislike/or have any suggestions for me! Thank yall (:


	5. Twenty Questions?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben get to know each other. Things get a little hotter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picks up right after Ben's fight with Luke.

**Twenty Questions?**

Ben turned and climbed down the rocks and towards the ocean. He needed to talk to his master. Skywalker was getting too close. As soon as he stepped off the last rock, he heard someone clear their voice. He turned sharply, ready to destroy whoever it was that dared to bother him. He whipped his head around and almost ran straight into Rey. She was looking directly up at him, staring at him with annoyance. She stood almost against his chest, with her arms crossed and an almost comical pout on her face. Ben felt the anger leave his body instantly. He wanted to say something but found himself looking at her lips again. He mentally cataloged the overly exaggerated pout and watched as her resolve falter from him examining her face.

"Do you make it a habit to pick fights with people or are you just having a bad week?" she said. He just stared at her, like an idiot.

"Well, hello? Are you even listening to me? What could that man have done to make you hurt him? For maker's sake, Ben. Is violence really necessary against an old man?"

"Rey, do you usually ask this many questions?" Ben turned to walk down the beach and heard Rey stomping along behind him. He wondered if she always stepped so heavily, thinking at least she'd never be able to sneak up on him. Or anyone else for that matter, even if her life depended on it. He laughed under his breath at the thought. Then, he felt something hit him from behind. He whirled on her.

"What the hell? Did you just throw SAND at me? I kriffing HATE sand, Rey! Damn it!" He meant it to be intimidating but Rey was doubled over laughing hysterically and he felt the smile rising on his own face.

"I'm sorry, you just, you have sand all in your hair, and I can't," she giggled out. Ben didn't think he'd ever heard such a beautiful sound. Not his mother singing him to sleep as a baby. Not even the first time he heard his own light saber come to the life. This topped everything. He found himself laughing along with her and shook his hair out. He turned on his heel and yelled "come on!" over his shoulder. Rey followed him to the edge of the beach and sat down on the rock's ledge.

"So what, are you stalking me in the day time as well now," he asked.

"Not really. I was starting to get angry, actually. Like, uncontrollably angry, but it wasn't me that was angry. I figured it had to be you. So I tried to reach out and find you, and then bam, I ended up in the middle of a kriffing magic fight."

"Magic fight? It was the force, Rey. Not magic. You could do it too if you learned. If the force is connecting us, then you have to be a force user."

"What? But that's not possible. I would know if I had the.. the force," she whispered.

"Not necessarily. You do have it, I know you do. I can feel it when you're near. You light up everything around me. It's going to make me go blind, so thanks for that," he said. Rey laughed and bumped into his shoulder. Ben looked at her so affectionately that Rey had to avert her gaze.

"What are you looking at me for?" Rey asked, her voice small.

“Just you. I’m not used to someone being near me. Or wanting to be near me, really. Usually everyone just avoids me and they’re so terrified that they try their hardest not to make eye contact.” He laughed, bitterly.

“Why are they so scared of you? That sounds awful Ben. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, no big deal. It’s not like I want them to be around them. Plus, I make sure to glare at them so they start shaking in their boots.”

“Ben,” Rey drew the word out in exasperation, laughing along with him.

“I’m sure they just want to know about you. I mean, I’m certainly curious. I’ve got a list of about 100 questions,” she said.

Ben stared at her for a second, trying to measure how she would respond if she actually knew him. He picked up some rocks and threw them one by one towards the shore. Rey could tell he didn’t want to answer any questions. She figured he didn’t want to talk about himself at all. She felt the reservation roll off of him heavily. She started to tell him that he didn't have to tell her anything he didn't want to when he turned slightly toward her.

"What do you want to know? I can't say you'll like any of the answers but I'm not going to lie to you. That would just be a waste of time. Besides, you'd probably be able to feel if I were lying to you," he added with a smirk. Rey could tell he was using the sarcasm and the joking to make himself feel better. But she could still feel the fear rolling off of him in waves.

"First off, who was that man?"

"That would be my uncle, the famous Luke Skywalker. The last Jedi."

"Why were you fighting with him? I saw all of it, so you don't have to go over those details I guess." Ben looked at her with apprehension but she gave nothing away.

"My uncle is a teacher for force sensitives. My parents sent me away to him when I was a child. They told me it was because I needed to learn some control of my emotions, my thoughts. I could hear them arguing over me, though. My father was terrified of me. He thought I was reckless, that I acted out for attention. He said I was going to ruin my mother's image, ruin all that she worked so hard for. My mother thought I would turn to the dark side, like her father did. All the while, they were just pushing me further towards it. I shook hands with the dark in my mind a long time ago, by the time I was 6 maybe? I can't pin point the exact age. But it's always been there. They just made it worse by sending me away." He watched her the whole time he spoke, waiting for her to judge him or to scrutinize him. Doubt was another emotion he had trouble with. It plagued his every action and thought, waiting to knock him down from the greatness he was trying to reach.

"Rey, if you get to know all of my secrets then I get to ask yours as well. A question for a question, of sorts. Deal?"

"Deal, but there's not much to know about me."

"I somehow doubt that, Rey. Just entertain me for a bit, will you?" She smiled at him slightly, hoping he wouldn't see how nervous she was.

"You said you were on Jakku? Why?"

"Why is anyone ever where they are? This is where I was put so that's where I am," she said. She tried to sound nonchalant but Ben saw right through it and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Fine. I was left in the hands of a junk trader long ago. I don't know who my family is and I don't know why they left me here. I was around six standard years. I've never left because I've been waiting, hoping that one day they would come back for me." Rey looked at him for a reaction, just like he did to her. He looked like he was internally arguing with himself. He clenched his fist together and threw another rock down the beach. She saw him take a deep breath and then he turned back and said "your turn." Rey wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not, but she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to find out more.

"Were your parents right? Are you turning to the dark side?" she prodded.

"What a loaded question." Ben stood up and kicked the sand around. She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at him, copying his earlier expressions towards her.

"I just don't think that's an accurate way to put it, Rey. It's not like there's a line drawn in the sand between the dark side and the light side. It's just.. there's so much that the dark offers. Things I need. Things that the light side can't offer me."

"What things?" she questioned.

"It's my turn Rey. My master showed me visions of the future, showed me the power that I could obtain. But he also showed me you. In two of the visions, you were there with me. Not on Jakku. In a snowy forest. You were trying to kill me. You came at me with a light saber, aiming to kill. I asked you to let me teach you the force, but you only wanted to kill me. Then again, on a ship. I brought you to my master. You were still fighting me then, but I knew a long time had passed between the two visions. What do you think of these visions? Why would you fight me? What could make you want to kill me?"

"What if the visions were a trick? The dark side shows dark things, right? What if they took the truth and spun it to make it dark? I would never try to kill you Ben. Why would I be fighting you? So far, you're the closest person I've ever had in my life. I can't imagine anything could change that."

"I don't know, Rey. It's just what I saw. Enough questions for now. I wanted to talk to you about something serious. Don't ask me any questions, just listen, alright?" Ben caressed the boundary at the edge of Rey's mind. He could see her confusion there, and he also saw that she was not going to listen, that she was ready to ask 100 more questions.

"I'm serious, Rey. Listen." She nodded her head and waited for whatever he had to say.

"My master... he isn't.. pleasant to be around. Pain is important to him. In order to learn new things, to become stronger with the force, you sometimes must go through pain in order to gain it. He is somewhere out in the galaxy, so all of my training so far comes through mental connections, much like this. If he's ever in my head when you connect to me, you must not let him know. I'll find a way to alert you, when he's in my head. If I do alert you, you need to stay silent. Don't move. Don't make a sound. Pretend you aren't even there. Break the connection, if you can. You just have to stay away from me. Got it?"

"I don't understand Ben. If he's hurting you, how do you expect me to stay away? I'll probably be sucked into it, just like before. Besides, would it be so bad for him to know you're connected to me?"

"Rey, it would be the worst thing imaginable. He can't know about you." Rey narrowed her eyes at him and then looked off at the beach, trying to reason with his words. Why didn't he want anyone to know about her? Was he ashamed of her?

"Of course I'm not ashamed of you, Rey! I'm trying to keep you safe! I care about you, I don't want him to hurt you in any way. Not even through me! And trust me, Rey, he will try! To test me, he will try."

"Ben. How did you hear that?" Rey questioned. Ben whirled around so fast that she almost ran into him.

"Hear what? You yelled at me, Rey! Was I not supposed to hear you yelling at me?" Rey rolled her eyes and stalked towards him.

"Are you always this difficult!" Rey screamed. She stomped her foot like an impatient child and Ben couldn't stop the laughter that fell out of his mouth. Rey silenced him immediately with one look. She stepped into his face and glared at him with the same pout from earlier.

"You are frustrating, Ben Solo! I can't believe you're laughing at me when I'm angry! What is your problem?!"

Ben glanced at her pouty lip, back to her eyes, and back to her lips.

"Hello! Is anyone home?? Or can you suddenly not hear me yelling at you now!"

Rey decided to walk away from him in order to calm her flaring temper. As she turned, Ben caught her wrist in his hand. She stopped moving immediately and her breath caught in her throat. It felt like electricity, when Ben touched her. She had felt it in his room, when they brushed their fingers against each other. It was only a slight zap, then. Now, it was raging and flowing. It traveled from the contact on her wrist all the way across her body.

She realized she was staring at his hand and snapped her head up to meet his gaze. He was staring at her carefully, gauging her reaction and finding that it was equal to his own. He could feel the tension rising significantly in each passing second and wondered if he should let her go. He looked at her, questioning. She seemed to hear it, tilting her head slightly to the side, reaching out to feel his emotions. Ben stepped forward slightly, closing the small distance between the two of them. He slid his hand from her wrist to her forearm, watching as she parted her lips in the slightest movement. He tried to make his touch light, but it was taking so much concentration not to move too quickly and scare her off. He continued his hand from her forearm, across her shoulder, to the side of her neck. He could feel Rey's anticipation rolling off of her, felt her pulse beating rapidly under his fingertips. He watched as she forced out an exhale and tried to keep composure. Rey looked at his lips quickly and darted her eyes back to his. He tried to brush against her mind and found she had established a wall to block him out. Ben moved his hand to the side of her face and she leaned into the contact, reveling in how warm his hand felt against her skin. He brushed his thumb gingerly across her bottom lip and she sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Ben let out a small laugh and Rey's eyes shot back open, intending to argue with him. Instead, she saw him shrug and give her the signature Ben Solo smirk right before his lips landed on hers. It was quick, almost a kiss to ask for permission. It still made Rey melt. He pulled back from her to study her face and she let out a small hum of appreciation. That was all Ben needed. He put his hands on the side of Rey's face and pulled her in towards him, closing his eyes in the process. This was not like the first kiss, not at all. Rey felt the electricity spread further, it wrapped around both of them in a blanket of encouragement. Ben kissed Rey like he was the one who had been stuck in the desert, like Rey was glass of tall water that he'd been searching desperately for. Rey felt his tongue brush against her bottom lip and she nearly collapsed. Ben moved a hand to her waist to keep her steady and Rey parted her mouth, praying to the maker that he would do that again. Ben slipped his tongue into Rey's mouth and kissed her deeper, pulling her as close as he could in the process. Rey let out the smallest moan and pushed Ben back onto the rock they had been sitting on earlier.

"Rey, what the hell," Ben growled.

Rey climbed on top of him and straddled his hips with her legs. He let out a ragged breath and sat up so he could touch her better. Rey snaked her arms around his head and pulled him closer to her. He kissed her more insistently, trailing from her lips to her jaw before moving painstakingly slow down her neck. Rey titled her head to give him better access. She felt his tongue against her neck and moved her hips against his. Ben let out a strangled groan against her neck and Rey felt it in her bones.

"Ben, please," Rey whispered.

"Tell me what you need, Rey," Ben said between kisses. He watched as Rey opened her mouth to speak, only to have their connection snap shut and leave him panting and frustrated.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave comments or kudos please! (: Hope you like.


	6. Keep Your Friends Close, & Your Enemies Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snoke is plotting, along with his new minion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave kudos please! (:

**Keep Your Friends Close, & Your Enemies Closer**

Tyrion stood on the cliff's edge watching his rival attentively. Solo was crazy. They all knew it. The Supreme Leader had chosen Solo over him, of all people. Tyrion had direct orders: watch his rival and report any changes. The Supreme Leader was testing him, and he wouldn't fail like the prodigal Ben Solo. Tyrion watched Solo walk along the beach, talking animatedly to himself. He looked like he was playing both sides of the conversation. How could the Supreme Leader not see the insanity that he was seeing? It was easy to see the Solo had finally cracked under the pressure. Tyrion went to leave when a girl suddenly appeared in front of Solo. She was standing there, clear as day, with Solo moving his hands on her small frame. That's when the unthinkable happened, Solo kissed her! Tyrion was sure he was hallucinating. No one in their right mind would get near this failure of a force user. He had to tell the Supreme Leader about the girl, how she had appeared out of thin air. He crouched low and crawled across the rocks. Back in his quarters, he sent a mental note for the Supreme Leader.

"What have you found boy?"

"Master Snoke, it's Solo, he's.."

"DO NOT USE THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE BOY! SOLO IS DEAD!" Snoke yelled. Tyrion retreated slightly in fear.

"But sir, I just saw him. He was kissing a girl! They were on the beach! I saw it, Supreme Leader!"

The girl. How could he miss this? A young boy, isolated and abandoned, harboring false feelings towards his own natural born enemy.

Snoke nodded his head at Tyrion. He put his hand over his mouth and thought about the intentions of his new apprentice. Snoke would get rid of her. Better yet, he would make the boy get rid of her. He would finish molding Kylo Ren and then he would use him to destroy the Jedi order once and for all. Kylo Ren won't remember a single thing about this pathetic Ben Solo. Snoke would make sure of it.

* * *

"Kylo Ren, are you shielding your thoughts from me?" Snoke questioned.

"I apologize Master, I have been trying to strengthen my mental barriers so that when the time comes, no one will suspect our plans."

"Hmm, interesting. This will help us significantly, when the time comes. Let us test your barriers, shall we?"

"Supreme Leader, this is not something I have mastered yet. I've only just started to test the limits of it. If you could jus..."

"Silence, boy! You do as I command and nothing more! Begin, or leave yourself defenseless, if you prefer. Pain will lead you closer to the man you will become."

Ben tried to shut off all of his emotions and focus on his mental barriers. They had been holding, and he had barricaded them multiple times to keep his uncle from spying. Ben had boxed his memories and thoughts of Rey tenfold, hoping to keep her hidden in the deepest parts of his thoughts. Ben felt Snoke push against his mind aggressively. He immediately gasped for air, but tried his hardest to regain his composure. He straightened himself and held his hands behind his back, waiting for more. Snoke narrowed his eyes at Ben, studying his emotions.

"You have so much doubt in yourself, young Ren."

"Yes, Supreme Leader. I am trying to overcome it," replied Kylo Ren.

"We will overcome it together, my apprentice." Snoke delved into the barriers, over and over again, relentlessly. Ben doubled over and caught himself on the ground with his hands. The air escaped him in a rush and he felt himself lose grip for a split second. The barriers held, but wavered slightly. If Snoke felt it, he made no indication.

"Most impressive, Kylo Ren. I am proud of your progress. I have a task for you this week. You will find me a target. One of the other one of Skywalkers padawans. This student will be the first submissive of yours. You will train them, as Master of the Knights of Ren. Choose wisely, my apprentice, for if you fail, their death will fall on your hands. You will choose a student, create the doubt in their mind, and give me their name. I will take over after that. Understand?"

"Yes, Master."

"Kylo Ren, I feel you have some questions for me. What is troubling you?" Snoke baited him.

"I have been having troubling dreams, Supreme Leader. About the girl from the visions. I only wish to know how she will come into the future. I have a reoccurring dream, where we duel in the forest. It's always the same. I tell her she needs a teacher in the force, but she always kills me anyways. I was wondering, is it possible to change the future that you showed me? Could I persuade her to take our side, Supreme Leader?"

Snoke pretended to turn the thought over in his head, thinking of all the ways he could manipulate this to his advantage.

"We will see when the time comes, my apprentice. Now, let us see how long you can hold these barriers. We will stay until they fall, or you meet your demise. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Ben doesn't remember what happened after the sixth attack from Snoke. He felt his barriers giving after the third intrusion. The fourth caused his nose to start bleeding profusely. The fifth had him on the ground, biting back screams as the tears fell down his face. His vision had blurred, and he tried his hardest not to lose consciousness. His prayers went unanswered, evidently, seeing as how he was waking up in a pile of his own tears and blood, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Ben," Rey whispered. He looked up to see her standing there, looking at him with an emotion he couldn't place.

"Rey, are you hurt?" Ben tried to scramble to his feet but nearly fell. Rey caught him but he shook her off.

"I don't need your pity Rey, I'm fine!"

"Let me help you Ben. You may be perfectly fine not needing anyone, but I want to help you. Please."

Rey held her hand out and Ben took it with caution, struggling to get to his bed. He finally sat down on the edge and tried to steady his breathing. Rey walked into the fresher and came back out with one dry wash cloth and one damp one. He looked at her questioningly and she averted her eyes. She grabbed the dry cloth and began wiping away at the blood. It had ran down his face, onto his neck, and soaked into his clothes. Ben tried to take the cloth from her and she swatted his hands away. He glared at her and ground his teeth together. She wiped the blood from his face, and started working down his neck. Rey watched him swallow deeply and take a steady breath through his nose. He tried to remember the last time someone had taken care of him. He hadn't ever let anyone get close enough for it, but he couldn't even remember his own family taking care of him. Rey's care was quite different. It was more intimate, and it meant more to him than she could ever know. Even if he fought her tooth and nail through it. When she was finished she took the wet cloth and followed the same motions, clearing up the blood that had stuck to his skin. Rey took a step back and admired her clean up job. She gestured to his shirt and he cocked his head to the side.

"Your clothing. It's covered in blood."

  
"Oh." That was all he could say. He tried to stand up and winced, bringing his hand up to stop the pounding in his head. Rey put her hand on his shoulder and forced him to sit back down. He looked up at her and she had a look of determination on her face.

"I could help you. Get them off, I mean. I could help. Because they're bloody, and you're hurt." Rey wasn't as confident as she hoped and her words came out fast and awkward. Ben just chuckled and leaned forward so she would have an easier time. Rey unfastened the belt around Ben's tunic and pulled it from around him. She pulled at the buttons and tried hard to concentrate and keep her hands from trembling. She pushed the tunic from his shoulders and down his arms, leaning in a little to push it all the way down. Ben was watching her earnestly, enraptured with the way her brow was set in concentration, how she made little hums and small noises every time she touched him. Ben didn't think she even realized she was making the soft sounds, but he was paying rapt attention, trying to ignore the stirring they sparked in his chest. Ben put his hands on her hips while she leaned forward to take the tunic from off of his arms and she made a soft gasp, snapping her eyes to his. She stepped backwards and threw the tunic to the floor. She grabbed his hands from her waist and lifted them higher.

"Arms up, please," she murmured. Ben raised his hands and Rey pulled his undershirt up and over his head, taking note in how disheveled it made his hair. She let out a small laugh and lifted her hands to his hair, hesitating to ask permission. Ben nodded his head, but Rey could feel the apprehension he was experiencing. Rey ran the tips of her fingers through his hair. His hair was long and thick and she felt the calm that spread over him as she moved her hands. She leaned back to look at him and saw he had his eyes closed, feeling at ease finally. Rey worked her hands through his scalp over and over, until she heard his breathing become thicker. She stepped back and he nearly came with her, leaning forward against her chest. She held his weight and shook him just slightly. He stirred and his head dropped to the side, shifting his hair into his eyes. Ben Solo had fallen asleep. Rey leaned him backwards onto his bed and pulled his legs up onto his bed. Whatever had happened with Snoke had taken a heavy toll on him. She knew the nightmares that he experienced usually kept him up at night. She usually experienced them with him. She sat on the edge of his bed holding his hand and watching him appreciatively. Rey felt something shifting in her chest, relieving some of the years of emotion that had hardened her heart. She ran her fingers down the right side of Ben's face, watching as he relaxed further into sleep. She felt the bond lingering and pressed a kiss to his hand, getting ready for it to dissolve. She closed her eyes tight and when she opened them again, she was sitting in the dust and sand of the Jakku desert.


	7. Who Do You Choose?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben makes a new friend.

**Who Do You Choose?**

Ben sat up in his bed and glanced at the window, seeing a steady stream of light pouring through. He sat up frantically and threw on some loose clothing. He was seriously late for his Uncle's morning training. He ran to the grassy area that they usually practice saber forms, but it was deserted. He looked around for the others, but saw no one. Ben tried to seek out his Uncle's force signature but it wasn't present, at least not on this planet. He turned and walked to the open corridor, finding it scarce. Ben sat on the edge of the table, resting his elbows on his knees with his fists against his jaw. Ben looked around at some of the other padawans. He knew Snoke would be expecting Ben to pick one of them soon. He would have to plant the seed of doubt in one of these students. How could he do that? Most of them wouldn't even acknowledge him, let alone speak to him. Ben took a deep breath and tried to feel the emotions of the students around him.

"He's not here." Ben whipped his head around to the voice. It was a girl. She was younger than Ben, maybe 18? He tried desperately to remember her name but it evaded him. When has another padawan ever willingly spoken to him? He decided to go for it.

"Who?"

"Master Luke. He said he had some business to attend to, and that he would be back in two days time," she said. Ben stared at her, trying to break through her mental barriers.

"You know, you could just ask if you want to know something. No need to try and rifle through my head. You aren't doing a very good job, by the way." Ben was sure his mouth had dropped open. How the kriff did she know he was in her head?

"I wasn't trying to rifle anywhere!"

"Yes, you were. I felt it the minute you started. You should probably try to be a little more subtle next time," she admonished. She turned to stomp away, and he scrambled over the edge of the table to follow her.

"Wait! Tell me how you felt that! I was being as gentle as possible. You shouldn't have felt a thing!"

"I don't know, I just did. I've always been able to feel when someone is using the force against me." Ben tried to think how he could use this as an opening to turn her. She's young, and agile enough, if he remembers correctly. She might make a good student for him.

"Could you show me how?" he questioned.

"You want me to show you?? Aren't you like, the chosen one, or something? The force is all over your family! What do you need my help for?"

"That's just it. Everyone expects me to know everything. No one ever bothers to ask me if I need help." Ben was looking at his feet, waiting for the rejection to slip out. He was greeted with silence. He slipped his eyes towards her and found her watching him.

"You're serious?" she whispered. Ben nodded his head slowly. Ariana, that was her name. He needs to remember that if he expected this to progress.

"Fine, but you have to spar with me. And you have to teach me how to mental block. Oh, and I expect you to help me with force levitation." She turned away from him and walked towards the beach. Ben stared after her with his mouth open for a solid 45 seconds before she turned back towards him.

"Are you coming or not?" she asked. Ben picked up his pace and followed after her.

Ariana was an eager learner. She was quick, slender, and very graceful in her saber forms. Ben was an aggressive attacker. He didn't think too much about the movements, just cleared his mind and threw everything he had at his opponent. The girl had to sidestep several times to avoid the angry blaze from his saber. She fell twice but recovered rather quickly. Ben was certain she would make a great student for him. She listened to his directions, and corrected herself every time she slipped up. At one point, she even managed to knock Ben backwards and bring her saber down towards his throat. Ben put his hands up in surrender, waiting for her to back down. She lowered her saber, and Ben kicked his foot out and swept her legs out from under her. She fell to the ground right next to him and let out a rush of breath. He turned his head to check her damage and found she was laughing.

"Why are you laughing?? I just knocked you on your ass!" Ariana just laughed harder.

"That was amazing! We never get to spar like that with Master Luke here! He thinks everything is too dangerous. I haven't felt this challenged since, well, ever." Ben tried to get a read on her emotions. She was absolutely elated with adrenaline. He could feel her excitement, but also felt an edge of danger rolling off of her. She was enjoying herself a little too much. She sat up suddenly, surveying the small bruises that were forming on her arms. She smiled as she felt Ben's confusion.

"Curious, are you? I thought you'd be the one to understand," she said.

"Understand what?"

"That it's fun to be a little dangerous," she whispered. Ben nodded his head. He tried to find the words that would be most effective to convince her but they were failing him. He shook his head and tried to focus.

"Ariana. Say you were given the opportunity to leave this place. The opportunity to do things much greater than practice safe saber forms and meditate. Would you take it?"

"What do you mean? Where would I go? My family handed me over to Skywalker years ago, and I haven't seen them since. I don't have anywhere to go."

"Yes, but say that you did. If you could leave and go to a place much better. A place with little rules. You'd have all the things and resources you could want. People would respect you, they would fear your power. They would look to you for orders, for guidance."

"I'd say that would be too good to be true. What's the catch?" She looked at him quizzically and he felt her curiosity and her hope for the things he was offering.

"Well, the catch is fairly simple. You would have to go through intense training, and possibly some pain on the way there. But nothing that you couldn't handle. You also would have to train under my guidance. I could train you, much more than the training we just did. You're a quick learner, you could be just as good as me, if not better. We could leave this place, and not ever look back. It's obvious that you're meant for much greater things than this." Ben tried to keep his voice calm and reassuring and she measured the weight of his words.

"That would be.. that would be something else. Is this all hypothetical? Or is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Hypothetically, if I did have a plan for this, I would need to know that you're on board first. That when the time comes, I could trust you to follow me, no matter the circumstances. My Uncle watches us all very closely. The timing would have to be perfect." Ariana looked around nervously, making sure that there were no lingering ears.

"And how would we know when the time is perfect?" she asked.

"I have a new master, one far greater than my Uncle could ever hope to be. He's taken me on as his apprentice. That's why I'm so far ahead of everyone here at academy. I learnt this all years ago. He is watching for the right time. He offered to let me pick a student to train. A right hand to help me through everything. I think you would be exceptionally well, if you accepted."

"And if I didn't accept?" She turned to look Ben directly in the eyes, gaging the truthfulness of his next words.

"I think, for your life, you should probably accept," he said evenly. Ariana smirked at him and used her hands to push herself up from the sand.

"Fine, I accept," she said. Then her saber sprang to life and she brought it down quickly. Ben rolled out of the saber's reach and jerked himself up right. He stared her down and realized that she was regarding him playfully.

"You can't handle this, Ari. Probably best to stick to your mind games," he teased. He felt a flare in her temper and she ran at him full force, bringing her saber down harshly. Ben heard the laughter fall from her mouth and felt his own forming a smile in return.

* * *

Kylo Ren kneeled before his Master, awaiting instruction.

"Kylo Ren, have you found a student to train?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader. Ariana. I have spoken with her and began her training already. She is very eager to learn."

"I will see about that. I am very impressed by your progression thus far. You have taken my orders and the accompanying pain very well, my apprentice."

"Yes, Master. The pain will aide me in the dark side. It will make me stronger."

"Very good, boy. I have another task for you. I have infiltrated four other padawans in your Uncle's academy. They are awaiting your instructions as Master of the Knights of Ren. I will leave it to you to figure out who they are. You will find a way to collect them all and reinforce that you are their master now. Do not fail me boy. I await to hear of your progress. Be quick in your efforts, the time for your departure is quickly approaching."

* * *

Snoke dissolved from Ben's quarters and he laid back on his bed. He had a very productive day. For once, the doubt that usually plagued him was nowhere to be found. He was proud of himself for completing his Master's tasks. He had successfully turned another student to his side. For once in his life, things were going in his favor. He let his mind wander towards Rey. He wondered what she had been doing since they last spoke. He had awoken in his bed the next morning, remembering her small hands cleaning the blood from his skin. He remembered how nervous Rey had felt to touch him. How it felt to feel her hands on his skin. Maker, the things he would do to feel her hands on his skin again. Ben felt desire stretch over him. He tried to brush the memories of Rey from his head, but she invaded his every thought. He tried to reach towards her, to pull her through the bond so he could see her. He felt a slight shimmer through the bond. He could feel her presence, but she couldn't quite materialize in front of him. He sighed and decided to shower instead.

Ben stood under the scorching hot water, letting the events from the day wash away. His thoughts were still stuck on Rey. He thought of the little whimpers she had made when her hips brushed against his. The way she melted when his lips brushed her skin. He wanted to feel her again, but more this time. He wanted to feel her lips touch him further. Ben was painfully hard. He brushed his fingers across his length, clenching his teeth together to keep from groaning. He thought of Rey straddling his lap and panting as he worked his mouth down her neck. Ben braced himself against the wall with one arm while he worked his hand hastily up and down his length. His movements became less controlled and more frantic and he squeezed his eyes shut. He leaned his head against the wall as he came apart and let out a shaky breath of Rey's name.


	8. I Hope You Like The Stars I Stole For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is escalating. Rey gets jealous. Someone comes to visit Ben.  
> Angst and Angst and some more Angst.

**I Hope You Like The Stars I Stole For You**

Snoke had given Ben specific instructions. Find the four other padawans that he had already infiltrated. The most obvious choice would probably be Tyrion. Ben hated his guts. He was a wanna be, a poser. Tyrion was a weak minded individual, but then again that is probably why it would be easier for Snoke to turn him to their side. He would start there. Ben lounged against the brick pillar, listening to the other padawans talk amongst themselves. Ben was the outcast, but Ari fit right in. He scanned the corridor for Tyrion and spotted him with two other students. They were whispering furiously amongst each other. They had to be three of Snoke's targets. Ben felt something caress against his mind and turned his head directly at Ari's location. She cocked her head to the side and kicked away from the table. Ben watched her slip out of sight and backed into the shadows to follow her.

"Master Snoke visited me last night," she said casually. Her apprehension gave her away, though.

"Was it as pleasant as my visits or did he give you special treatment?" Ben scoffed. She smirked at him and kicked her foot at some loose pebbles, eyes downcast towards the ground. Ben stepped into her personal space, his unease rising. He couldn't have her back out, not after how well things had went yesterday.

"That bad, then? I swear it's not always bad. There are so many things that come along with the pain, Ariana. You just have to get through all these trivial matters first." Ariana looked up at him shyly. She was quite beautiful, Ben thought. Her hair was long and icy blonde, cascading down her shoulders in loose waves. Her eyes were a deep blue, almost like the ocean that stood past the cliffs they trained on the day before. She was looking at Ben expectantly, waiting for him to do something.

"He showed me some visions, of the future. It was interesting to see how things evolve."

"What do you mean? What did you see?" Ben asked nervously.

"You and I mostly. My powers are going to thrive under your training. I could almost feel power on my fingertips after I came out of the vision. I don't think I've ever felt so good. We work really well together, Kylo. We'll work even better once we're out of this place." Ben narrowed his eyes at her. What is she trying to say here? Did she call him Kylo? Ariana felt his confusion and stepped even closer to him. Ben felt her force signature against his own. It was strong and unyielding, much like his own. She looked up at Ben and titled her head to the side, trying to skim his thoughts. Her hair brushed against Ben's chest and he shivered.

"What are you doing, Ari?"

"Oh come on, Kylo. You and I are going to become very close. In many ways. You'll soon find out." She pressed her palms against Ben's chest and he swallowed hesitantly.

"I have work to do, Ari. I don't have time for these childish games right now." Ariana pushed her bottom lip out in a pout and Ben instantly thought of the way Rey had done the exact same thing. Guilt immediately rushed through him. What the hell is he doing? Ben took a step back and Ari dropped her hands.

"What's your problem, Ben? Don't tell me all of this doesn't get you excited?" Ben didn't like the way she emphasized calling him Ben again. Like it was the cause of all her misery. Ben felt his anger suffocate him. He took a menacing step towards her and she cautiously stepped backwards.

"Let's not forget who is in the position of power here, Ari. I suggest you need to come to the conclusion pretty quick, or you won't be so excited with what happens next. Are we clear?" Ben made sure to lower his tone enough to emphasize his authority over her.

"Yes," she spit out. She turned to stomp away from him. Ben reached out and grasped her wrist, applying enough pressure for her to get the message.

"Yes, what, Ari?"

"Yes, Master." Ben nodded his head at her. He relaxed his hold on her wrist and moved back into her personal space.

"Good girl. Now, go entertain your little friends and find out which ones are with us. Understood?" Ben tucked a strand of her hair behind her right ear and gave her a quick smile. Ari looked up at him under her full lashes, and he felt her emotions churning in a mixture of fear and desire. He watched her walk away towards the others and jump right into the conversation. That's when he felt Rey's presence. He turned to look for her.

* * *

"Having fun, Ben?" Rey had disappointment written all over her face.

"Yes, actually. My day is going delightful so far." Ben smirked at her.

"Yeah I can see that. Making new friends?"

"Jealous, are we, Rey? Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it? Two days ago you were all over me! And would you like to talk about the fun you were having in the fresher last night?" Ben almost tripped over his own feet. He whirled on her.

"Come again?"

"Don't play stupid, Ben! You may not realize, but this bond opens up in some pretty inconvenient times and last night was one of them! I heard you and I'm pretty kriffing sure I heard my name slip out, too! So how about you don't parade another girl around in my face?" Rey spit the words out with all the venom she had. Ben turned and walked away from her. He didn't have to deal with this. He would soon be far from here and this simpleton girl would be a thing of the past.

"Simpleton girl? You are pathetic, Ben Solo!" Ben shut the door to his quarters, hoping it would smack Rey in her pretty little mouth. He turned around and ran slap into her.

"Yeah, doors don't work on the force, Ben!" She pushed Ben back and he stumbled and caught himself on the door knob. He straightened to collect himself and glared at her. Who does she think she is?

"Watch yourself, Rey. You don't know what you're getting yourself into right now," he growled. Rey went to push him back again but he stepped around her. Ben now stood where she had only moments before.

"Up against the wall, Rey. Stop this trivial bullshit before you really make me angry." Rey rolled her eyes in the most dramatic display he's ever seen. Ben couldn't gauge her emotions, they were all over the place. After a moment, Rey relaxed into more friendly posture. Ben straightened himself and smirked at her. He knew she wouldn't test him.

"Maker, you are an arrogant ass!" Rey threw her fist at him quicker than he could react to. It landed a solid hit to his jaw and she felt his shock and disbelief flow into her side of the bond. He jerked his head up and she could see a tinge of blood at the corner of his mouth. He wiped his hand across his mouth and stared at it. Rey locked her eyes with his and felt the anger rolling off of him in waves. He took a careful step towards her, with his hands up. Rey knew better than that. She could feel the need for retaliation in his mind. She knew his surrender wasn't real. Ben took another step towards her and Rey took another swing at him at the same time. He was prepared this time. He caught her fist in mid swing and threw his head back in laughter.

"Ahh, Rey. The bond works both ways, sweetheart. You should mind your thoughts better when you're about to lay one on me." Ben pushed her back against the wall and she gasped.

"Yeah, well you didn't see it coming the first time, did you?" she snarled. Her anger was just as palpable as his. Ben pushed further against her and she could feel his hard length press against her hip. Rey jerked her eyes down and gasped. Ben gave her his signature smirk.

"You're breathtaking when you're angry, Rey." Rey struggled against his hold, causing him to press his body harder against hers. The pressure on her hips was making her light-headed.

"Why don't you go tell the blonde how breathtaking I am then?" she growled. It all suddenly clicked together in Ben's head.

"That's what this is about, Rey? You're jealous??"

"What did you think this was about Ben? I shouldn't have expected anything different, I guess. I mean, I barely know you. We only just met, I shouldn't have expected anything." Rey struggled to break free of his grip and he clasped her wrist and kept her pinned against the wall.

"Don't do that, Rey. I feel closer to you than I feel to anyone else. You've been good to me since the second I met you. This is real between us. That girl doesn't mean anything to me. She's a pawn. Snoke is having me to train her in the dark ways of the force. She got a little carried away and I put her back in her place."

"You put her back in her place by brushing her hair behind her ear and calling her a good girl?" Rey growled.

"I put her back in her place by showing her that the rules don't apply to me. I am in charge. If she listens, she's rewarded. If not, I'm going to make things very difficult for her. Besides, you're the only one around me who is really a good girl, Rey."  Rey rolled her eyes at that.

"Can you put me down now?"

"No, Rey. I think I quite like you in this position." Before Rey could register his movements, he loosened his grip on her and turned her around so her back was pressed against him and her face was against the wall. Rey inhaled sharply and Ben ran his fingers from the top of her spine down to her hips. He leisurely moved his hands around to the front of her stomach and brought her hips back against his. Rey squirmed beneath him and he let out a small chuckle. He inched his hand lower down her abdomen and she tensed and whimpered out his name.

"Still interested in being a good girl, Rey?" His voice was low and right against her ear. Rey hummed and pushed back against him, wanting for more. He turned her head to the side and placed a lazy kiss right under her ear. Rey squeezed her thighs together, trying to relieve the building ache between her legs.

"Ben, please," she whimpered. Ben moved his hand lower to the waistband of her pants and untied the drawstrings. Rey tried to squirm under his leisure pace.

"Stay still, Rey," he growled. Rey felt his fingers brush her skin just under the waistband and let out a small moan.

"I love the little sounds you make, Rey. You love this just as much as I do," he whispered. Rey ground her hips back against his and he pulled her tighter against his length.

"I said to stay still, Rey." Ben pulled Rey from against the wall and plopped down onto his bed, pulling Rey so she was still facing away from him. He snaked his right hand back around to her waistband and she tensed.

"Rey, what do you want?" Rey wasn't thinking clearly. Her heartbeat was fluttering so fast she thought she was having a heart attack. She whimpered and he smoothed his fingers two inches further, just above the intense ache she was fighting. She tried to squirm beneath him, to edge him closer to the pulsing between her legs.

"Rey, be a good girl and answer the question. What do you want?" Ben felt the lust spread over Rey like a fire. He moved his hand down another inch and Rey almost jerked against him. Ben heard her whisper "please" in his head. He smirked against her shoulder and slid his fingers against her swollen flesh. Rey ground her hips against him frantically, trying to guide him to the place she needed release. A knock sounded just outside Ben's quarters and Rey disappeared in his hands.

"Gods damn it!" Ben turned and threw everything off his bed side table, watching as it all crashed into pieces against the wall. He picked up his saber and sprang the blade to life.

"Whoever it is, you better have a kriffing phenomenal reason for bothering me right now!" Ben screamed. He was surely about to take the life from whoever stood outside his door. His hatred was seeping out of him. Ben used the force to throw open the door and looked down directly into the eyes of his mother, Leia Organa.


	9. Are You My Mother?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia Organa comes to talk. Ben finds his knights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really just a quick transition chapter because it's about to get real in the next chapter. There will be some good Reylo smut (; Chapter 10 should be posted tomorrow or Saturday! Don't forget to leave comments or kudos please!

**Are You My Mother?**

Leia Organa looked up at the figure in front of her. She didn't know what she had came here to say, but it didn't matter anyways. It all went out the door when she looked into the eyes that were supposed to belong to her son. The man standing in front of her was not her Ben. That much was clear. This man was all wrong. The boyish features that used to layer her son's face were replaced by a permanent scowl. His light brown eyes were darkened almost to black. The short hair that she used to play with was now almost to his shoulders. He wasn't the small child that she remembered from years ago. He had been replaced by hard planes and sharp features. A combination of raging negative emotions fell out of the doorway. Dark eyes glowered at her, ready to strike her down for her interruption. She watched Ben's expression change almost in slow motion. It had started as hatred, ebbed into bewilderment, and hardened into hatred once again. Leia knew her son held resentment towards her. He didn't even try to hide it from her. It flowed out of him just like everything else did. Ben might not be honest with her, or even himself, but he could never hide his true feelings. His face gave away his every emotion. She watched as her son turned off his light saber and looked her over. Whatever he saw, he wasn't pleased.

"Who were you talking to Ben?" she asked.

"That's none of your business," he snarled.

"Must have been Rey. I do hope to meet her in the near future," she mused. Ben's eyes went wide and he nearly shook with fury. Leia could feel his anger rising by the second. He didn't expect her to know about the girl. Let alone to mention her directly to his face.

"May I come in, son?"

"I am not your son. You'd do well to remember that. Why are you here?"

"Your Uncle Luke has told me some troubling things. I wanted to see it for myself."

"And do you? See it for yourself?"

"I don't think there's anything left to see, Ben. I don't think I could say anything to steer you from the path you're choosing but I can feel that your mind is already made up. I'll just leave you with some guidance, instead."

"I have all the guidance that I need, _Leia._ " Ben said her name like it disgusted him to mention her. He nearly spat it at her. She hadn't expected anything else.

"You make think that, son, but I assure you that you don't. I'll lay it out for you. You may think you have that girl wrapped around your finger, but you do not. She is far above this darkness that you posses, Ben. This is not going to go the way you think. I imagine you'll be leaving rather soon. Do you think that she will go with you? Or that she would even be allowed to go with you? You and I both know that the girl is a beacon of light. You cannot hide her forever. Not Rey. Her light illuminates everything it touches. Even you. Don't you wonder why your head clears every time you're near her? It's her light calling to you. You will lose that, if you take this path to darkness. Her light will dissipate, along with all of the hope she had for you. You understand that, right? You will lose everything."

"I won't lose her. She'll choose me. And if she doesn't, well then I didn't need her anyway. I will gain much more than I will lose. And you aren't going to change that. Not you. Not Luke. Not the girl. We are done here."

"Yes, I suppose we are, son. The next time I see you, it will be on opposite sides of a war. I only hope we both make it through." Leia turned away from her son and went back to her ship. She left the island without a look back.

* * *

Ben sat on his bed and let his mother's words sink into him. Would Rey really turn away from him? Snoke's vision showed him that Rey would be in his future, so she had to be with him, right? But what if she turned him away? Snoke said that their departure would be coming soon. He needed to make sure Rey would choose him when the time came. The only question was how. The doubt was starting to slip back into Ben, chilling him all the way to his bones. Ben ran his hands through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. Rey is the first person to ever choose Ben. To ever want him, just for him. He couldn't stand to lose her. Ben felt his eyes begin to water and tried to choke down the sob that was starting to rise.

"Ben," Rey whispered. He didn't turn to look her. Instead, he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. He was trying to pull himself together when he felt Rey slip her arms around his shoulders. He tensed immediately. Rey shouldn't see him be so weak.

"You aren't weak, Ben." Rey held him against her and ran her fingernails up and down Ben's upper back. His mother was right, Rey clears all of the darkness that plagues him. He snaked his arms around her midsection and pressed his head against her stomach. He couldn't quite bring himself to say something to her. He couldn't even look at her. He was scared of the emotions that he'd see there.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. Ben nodded his head. He took a breath and cleared his head. He still had work to do for Snoke. He couldn't do this right now. Rey was taking the darkness from him, and he needed it to complete his orders. He couldn't stand to be near her any longer. Ben pulled back from Rey and held her hands for a split second. He looked up at her and saw a mixture of deep affection and worry laced into her features.

"Don't worry about me, Rey." Ben got up and kissed her softly on her temple. He lowered her hands back down to her sides and stepped around her to finish Snoke's orders. He opened the door to his quarters and paused. He turned back half way to look at Rey one last time. She had a solemn look on her face but gave him a small smile anyways.

"Thank you, Rey." Ben turned around and walked out into the corridor.

* * *

 

Ben reaches out through the force for Ariana. He finds her in the midst of some other padawans. She immediately catches his eye and nods her head. Ben steps around a stone pillar and comes into view of the others. Tyrion shoots daggers in his direction and the others turn towards him.

"Can we help you, Solo?"

"You will mind your mouth when speaking to me, Tyrion. I'm going to assume that you all are supposed to be my new Knights?" They all looked nervously to Tyrion.

"Don't look at him to help you. He holds the same rank as you all do, which is beneath me. Snoke has made it very clear that I am to be your new Master. Ari, come." Ariana stepped out of the group and snarled at Tyrion as she passed. She took her place beside Ben and crossed her arms.

"Good girl," he muttered, just for her ears. Ben felt the devotion rolling off of Ari. She longed for his approval and attention. That would serve him well.

"Now, you all can make your allegiance known, or I'll be forced to eliminate you right now. Understood?" Tyrion threw his head back in laughter and picked his saber up. He was not going to follow Solo so blindly. Not when he was certain he could beat him. He ignited his saber and took a step towards Ben.

"Come on then, Tyrion. I have things to do today. Let's make this quick." Tyrion kicked off with his back foot and sprang at Ben, saber first. Ben flicked his hand out at the last minute and watched as Tyrion was thrown backwards into a stone pillar. He sauntered over to him and Tyrion scrambled to get back up.

"No, that won't work, I'm afraid." Ben whipped his hand out and froze Tyrion to the ground with the force. He crouched in front of him and cocked his head to the side. Tyrion struggled furiously against his hold.

"See this position, Tyrion? This is your proper place. On the ground, beneath me, cowering against my powers that you so desperately long for." Ben lit his saber and brought it down just under Tyrion's chin. The boy froze and his eyes darted back to Ben's face.

"Something to say for yourself?" Ben mused. He felt Tyrion's anger simmering. The boy hated Ben with a passion. He was jealous and powerless under Ben's manipulation of the force.

"No," Tyrion ground out.

"No? No, what?" Ben smirked.

"No, Master."

"Ahh, that's better." Ben released his hold on Tyrion and the boy scrambled to get away from the reach of Ben's saber. Ben circled back towards the rest of them.

"Now, do you all understand who your Master is? It's me, of course. Just in case anyone was still questioning. You all will train under me as of this moment. Anyone who doesn't fall in line with this new arrangement will learn very quickly that I won't tolerate it. If any of you wish to challenge me, you are more than welcomed to. Just know that if you do, there is no yielding. The loss will go to whichever of us falls to their death. No leniency. Anyone who goes against my direct orders will be charged with treason and killed immediately. Got it?"

"Yes, Master," Ariana declared. She fell to one knee and bowed her head. The others watched her and quickly fell in line, each taking a knee to their new master. Tyrion was the last one standing. He glared disdainfully at Ben, before slowly taking a knee and bowing before him.

Suddenly they all felt a familiar darkness creep over them.

"Master Snoke," Ben announced. The others looked around in shock, not grasping how Ben felt the presence that they couldn't yet feel.

"My apprentice, Master of the Knights of Ren. One of your knights is giving you trouble," Snoke mused.

"That is nothing I cannot handle, Supreme Leader. I will execute him if he shows disobedience once more."

"Yes, I imagine you will, Kylo Ren. You all will be leaving this island in two days time. I want that island desecrated. Burn it to the ground. Kill all of the remaining force users on the island, especially Skywalker. We will take no prisoners and leave no enemies standing. Do you understand?"

"Supreme Leader, you want us to kill them all?"

"They are the enemy, Kylo Ren. They will come back to kill you in the future if you do not rid them now."

"Forgive me, Master. I was only suggesting, that maybe they be given the option to choose. Us, or Skywalker? We can take the ones who choose our side and train them for our cause. The ones who hesitate can then be further disposed of. I would rather have more allies in the force than enemies."

"I will allow this, my young apprentice. Your ingenuity will serve you well. Do not fail me."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

Snoke retreated from their minds and vanished into nothingness. Ben turned back to his knights.

"Go practice saber dueling. No practice sabers, use your actual blades. No yielding unless the other is dead or unconscious. Got it?" The knights all muttered various understandings and immediately turned to follow their orders. Ben went back to his quarters in hopes to reach Rey. Two days. Snoke said they were leaving in two days. How can he convince Rey to choose him I only two days? He had a pretty solid idea.

 

 


	10. Persuasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SORRY BUT NOT SORRY. NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE A FEELS TRIP. SMUT IN THIS CHAPTER????

**Persuasion**

Rey was worried about Ben. The emotions that he had felt over the last few hours have been tormenting her. She wasn't accustomed to feeling such negative feelings, especially not when they were shifting every few minutes. Whatever Ben had been enduring was giving her whiplash. One second he was angered enough to kill, the next he was so fearful that it almost made Rey sick. She couldn't fathom having to feel these emotions at all times. Is this what Ben always felt? Rey needed to reach him. The bond had been agonizingly stubborn. Every time she tried to reach Ben, it would get close and then snap back in place, almost knocking her back. Rey imagined the bond as an abundance of threading. All of the threads that made her whole were attached back to Ben. She had only been able to connect with him when he was in severe distress, so she hoped that the dormant activity meant that he was safe. His shifting emotions have been making Rey nauseous for the past few hours. She's been pacing the desert aimlessly, just waiting for something to happen. Rey felt a stirring in the bond, like a thread had been plucked. She settled her thoughts and tried to feel for Ben. He was there, but slightly out of reach. Rey followed along the thread until it snapped and sent her falling backwards into the sand.

"Maker, please just connect us. I need to see him," Rey whispered. It was almost nightfall, she would just have to go back to her AT-AT and hope for the best. Rey dusted herself off and trudged back through the thick sand to her home. She sat with her back against the paneling and rubbed circles into her temple. Relief. She just needed some relief. She didn't even need to speak to him, she just needed to see with her own eyes that he was safe.

Rey felt an abrupt shift in Ben's emotions. She scrambled to her knees and tried to focus. Ben's side of the bond was stirring gently. Too gently. She felt Ben change from anger to sharp resolution. He had made a decision about something, and Rey prayed to the Maker that it was something good. She felt another stir on his side of the connection and started to feel along the threads, hoping they would drag her back to Ben. The main thread to Ben was tinged in darkness. Rey shuddered when she grasped it. All of the sudden, the bond flew open and Ben was in front of her, leaning with his shoulder against the wall, as if he was expecting her. She looked up at him and he smiled at her so beautifully that Rey felt her throat go dry. She was certain that this man could charm his way out of anything. At least when it came to her.

Ben pushed himself off the wall and sauntered towards her. Rey could feel the determination and confidence rolling off of him in waves. When he finally reached her, he lifted his hands to her and wound them in her hair, tilting her head so she would look at him.

"Missed me, did you?" he murmured. Rey opened her mouth to reply but promptly shut it when Ben's hands started roaming from her hair to her throat. He was looking at Rey admiringly, not taking his eyes off of hers. Ben leisurely traced a finger from just under her ear to her sternum before casually trailing it downwards between her breasts and to her stomach. Rey was certain she was about to implode at any moment. Ben chuckled and moved his lips along the sharpness of her jaw. The need to be close with her was vital.

"What are you doing?" she whispered. He narrowed his eyes at her and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I just want to make you feel good, Rey."

"But why?"

"What do you mean why? Because you're the most important person to me and I want you to know it," he exclaimed. Rey stepped around him and sat cross-legged on his bed.

"Yes, but, what are we doing here Ben? I don't have any idea what's going on with you. You're giving my whiplash trying to keep up. One minute you're about to kill some old man, then the next you have your hands all over me. Not to mention I've found you bloodied and bruised, and the time I found you in the floor with your head about to explode from pain. Where do I fit in with all of this? Oh, and don't think I forgot about you and little miss blonde." Ben gave her a small smile and sat down next to her.

"Things are changing for me, Rey. I won't be at the temple anymore. I'm going somewhere where I can fully develop my force abilities. I'm tired of being left in my family's shadow, Rey. I am better than that. But it's going to require some sacrifice. And the pain, I can handle it. It's only temporary. Not like us, though. We aren't temporary. I want you to come with me, Rey. I can come and get you and you can train with me and stay with me. Then we'll be together and I can touch you with my own hands for once. What we have is rare. No one left in the universe has a bond like this. Snoke is stupid not to accept you along with me."

"Snoke??? The one who tortures you and tells you it's to help you learn? You want me to go with you so what? We can be tortured together? I won't go there Ben. I won't do that. Snoke is evil, everything that he does is evil. Everyone knows it. Even on Jakku, people are afraid to even mention his name. And now you want to carry me off into the sunset to be hang out with him like we're old friends?"

"It's not like that, Rey!" Ben slammed his fist down on the bed side table and Rey glared at him.

"You know what, I don't have time to deal with your mood swings, Ben. I'm still recovering from an entire day of them." Rey got up to walk away from him, hoping the force would end the connection.

"Rey, wait! Please. Just hold on. We can figure something else out. I don't want to be away from you, Rey. You're the only person I can be myself around. I need you. We can figure something else out, I promise! What do you want me to do? Just give me some ideas and we can figure it out." Ben was starting to feel fear and dread threatening to consume him. This is not how he envisioned this force connection to go.

"You really think Snoke will let you compromise Ben? He isn't going to let me distract you like that. I'm expendable."

"No. You aren't Rey. I will handle Snoke. He won't deny me this. I've done everything he's asked. And there are some things I'll be doing very soon that are unspeakable. He'll have no choice but to let me have you."

"You can't have me, Ben. I am not a piece of property!" Rey screamed. She turned and stormed away from him, ripping her arm from his grasp. Ben lunged out and tried to stop her.

"Rey, wait! Please! I'm in love with you!" Ben snapped his mouth shut the moment the words were out. Love was not a darksider trait and he prayed to the maker that Snoke hadn't just heard him. Surely he would be dead already if he had. Rey turned back toward him slightly.

"You what?" It had came out as a whisper. Rey's eyes had misted over and Ben couldn't decipher exactly what she was feeling. The words were already out so he might as well go for it.

"I love you, Rey. Don't you feel that? Everything about you screams at me. I'm not a good person. I have all of these terrible emotions and I've done all of these terrible things. And I'm about to even more terrible things. But you are the exact opposite of me, Rey. You're the light half. The good half. You're the only person in this entire galaxy that makes me feel anything other than misery and hatred. I need you." Rey could feel the conviction in his words. His actions are what concerned her. She shielded Ben off from her mind so she could wade through all of her turbulent emotions. He stepped forward and ran his hands up and down her arms soothingly. Why is it always like this between them? Every time he touches her, her mind shuts off and her body turns on. She shuddered at how delicate and leisurely his hands were moving.

"What do I have to do to get you to consider Rey? I'm not asking you to become evil, or to work for Snoke, or to use the dark side. I won't ask for anything else. I'm just asking you to come with me. Please." Ben stepped back and held his hand out to Rey, pleading with her to accept his offer. Rey could hear the shakiness in his voice. He was uncertain and terrified that she could possibly reject his offer. Rey felt just as terrified as he did. But Ben was right. She was the exact opposite of him, even in the force. It's the reason they're so balanced around each other. They are equals, while on opposite sides of everything.

Rey lifted her hand tentatively, and Ben's hand started to tremor slightly in anticipation. She watched as he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He moved his hand an inch closer to Rey's hand and licked his lips. He wanted this so badly. Rey could feel Ben's heartbeat echoing her own. He wasn't shielding anything from her with the force. He was being unconditionally honest with her. Rey stepped forward and slipped her hand into Ben's. He let out a long exhale and squeezed his eyes shut. He pulled Rey to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, trying his very best to keep himself together. He knew the bond was open and Rey could feel everything that he felt, but he refused to hide from her. He wouldn't hide anything from her. Rey untangled herself from his arms and looked up at him. He looked at her so affectionately and appreciatively that Rey felt her heart falter. He drew her close and kissed her deeply. This wasn't a rush and a mess like their previously kisses. This was a kiss filled with love and tenderness. He pulled himself apart from her and took a breath.

"You'll stay with me?"

"I'll stay with you, Ben. But only you." Ben picked Rey up and spun her around in circles, loving how she fell into fits of laughter and giggling.

"Put me down, Ben!!" Rey exasperated. He happily obliged, by putting her down on his bed and straddling her hips. She tried to sit up and gasped when her hips pushed against him. Ben grabbed her wrists and held them above her head.

"That is NOT what I meant, Ben."

"Mmhmmmm," he drew the word out as he traced his finger down her chest. Rey nearly whimpered over the small gesture. Ben smirked at her knowingly.

"Trust me?" he murmured.

"You know I do."

"Good. I want to try something." Ben raised his eyebrows at her suggestively and took his hands off of Rey's wrists. She tried to move them and found they were stuck in place. Her mouth popped open in surprise and she squirmed against Ben.

"Force hold. Very effective. Now, trust me more?" Rey nodded her head in anticipation. The tension between them had been frantic in the last few times they've seen each other and it seemed like the force was finally going to be merciful. Ben slowly and methodically started removing various articles of Rey's clothing. She was starting to get antsy, wanting to finally get the pleasure that Ben had been trying to give her over the past few weeks. Rey writhed against him, trying to help speed along the process. Finally, she was fully bare beneath him. She closed her eyes in anticipation and groaned when nothing happened. Her eyes flew back open and she found Ben seductively trailing his eyes up and down her body.

"What are you doing? We don't have long, you know this connection is faulty. Please, Ben," she mewled.

He smirked at her and brought his lips down on hers faster than she could register. Rey was about two minutes from coming unglued if Ben didn't put his hands on her. She arched her hips up towards his, hoping to relieve the growing ache between her legs. Ben put his hand against her hip and pushed her back down to the bed. _Patience_ he thought towards her. _I don't have any of that,_ she thought back. Ben brought his lips against Rey's neck, teasing her. She groaned again and tried to pull her hands down, only to remember they were stuck in place by the force. _BEN_ she mentally yelled. Ben peppered wet kisses down her neck and finally landed against her breast. He slid his right hand up her body and brushed against her nipple, skimming it just barely. Rey arched her back off of the bed and gasped his name. He rolled his tongue around her nipple eagerly and sucked it, pulling away with a soft 'pop.' Rey was writhing beneath him, and it was already hard for him to take his time with her. Ben moved further south, leaving a trail of wetness with his tongue and Rey was panting heavily. Rey lifted her head to look down at Ben just as he brought his mouth between her legs. Rey tossed her head back against the bed and tried to relax as Ben ran his tongue up and down her folds. _You are so wet for me, Rey_ he thought. Rey bucked her hips against his mouth and he moved his hands to her lower abdomen to hold her still. _Let my hands go Ben, please, I want to touch you_. The hold on her wrist immediately lifted and Rey's hands flew to Ben's hair, burying his lips further against her. She rocked her hips against his mouth and he practically growled against her, sending vibrations all over her body. Rey moaned his name and pulled on his hair, trying to bring him higher to the ache she so badly needed relieved. Ben brought his mouth down against her clit, not wasting any time. Rey arched her back and Ben sucked her clit harder, applying pressure with his tongue all around the sensitive flesh. Rey was certain she stopped breathing, this was just too good. Ben flicked his tongue against her sensitive clit and spread her legs further apart so he could get a better angle. He slid his finger up to Rey's lips and she looked at him questioningly.

"Open your mouth, Rey," he groaned. She happily complied and he slipped his finger into her mouth. _Now suck_. Rey complied again and Ben drug his finger out of her mouth and slowly pushed into her, taking note of the tightness between her legs. This was going to be a squeeze but they'd make it work. Ben worked his finger in and out of her while earnestly circling his tongue around her clit, sucking harder as Rey started to shake with her oncoming orgasm. Ben slipped another finger between her legs and curled them towards the spot she needed to send her over the edge. The sounds Rey started to make were not normal, she couldn't even recognize herself as she poured out pleas begging Ben not to stop. Between his tongue and his hands, Rey felt the familiar tremors of her orgasm about to fall over the edge.

 _Come for me, Rey. Right now,_ he demanded. That was all Rey needed. Her orgasm sent shudders throughout her entire body and she arched her back and clenched around his fingers. Ben slowed his fingers inside of her but kept sucking on her clit, slowly decreasing the pressure as Rey rode out her orgasm. Rey started to relax back into the bed and Ben drew his mouth back to hers. He kissed her hard, not holding his need for her back. Rey could taste herself on his lips and heat spread all over her body at the thought.

"You taste so good, Rey, but we aren't done yet," he whispered against her lips. Ben pushed her back down on the bed and pulled his shirt from over his head. Rey looked him over and licked her lips appreciatively. She couldn't wait to put her hands on him. He took his pants off quickly, thankful that they were his loose ones, and went to the end of the bed while Rey raked her eyes all over him.

"Come here, Rey." Rey scrambled down towards him and he pulled her to the edge of the bed, laying her back so he could get a perfect angle. He could feel Rey's arousal mixed with anxiety. She was questioning how big he was. He was honestly never going to forget the surge in confidence that would give him. He would never forget any of this experience. Rey mewled and squirmed against his hands, wanting to feel him again. Ben worked his hand up and down his length and Rey nearly convulsed. _BEN PLEASE_ she begged. Ben dipped his fingers back between her legs, lathering her wetness around her pussy, hoping it would make this easier for Rey. _I can handle it, Ben_ she thought softly. Ben nodded his head and positioned his cock at the base of her pussy, rubbing the tip against her swollen flesh. Rey jerked her hips against him and shuddered, giving Ben the distraction he needed to push into her. Rey whimpered at the intrusion and Ben slowed down, trying to ease all of the way into her.

"Don't go slow, please, I can take it. Just do it," she said. Ben happily complied and jerked his hips against hers, slipping all the way into her until he bottomed out. Rey let out a strangled moan and squeezed her eyes shut. Ben rolled his hips against hers and she tensed at the pain. Rey took a deep breath and moved against him, testing it further. She was adjusting quickly, which eased Ben's mind a little. He gave a shallow thrust and Rey clenched against his cock, making him groan. _Rey, I need to move. Right now. Or this isn't going to last very long._ Rey nodded earnestly and Ben inched out of her and snapped his hips back to hers, drawing another strangled moan from Rey. It was easier that time, he felt. He started a leisure pace, trying to get her more accustomed and ease himself. The need to break her was in his mind. He wanted to know just how much she could take. _I can take it, Ben. Give it to me._ That was all he needed to hear. Ben gripped her thighs and pulled her hard against his cock. Rey practically squealed at the sharp bite of pain, but Ben wasn't going to stop now. He began plunging his cock into her relentlessly, savoring how she tightened against his cock the deeper he got. Rey felt like she was on fire. The mixture of pain and pleasure was surrounding her, and she could feel the force wrapped around them tightly, holding strong. Rey experimentally ground her hips against Ben's as he trusted into her and he nearly lost control, trying to force himself to be patient with her. Ben pounded against her, harder and harder until she started to convulse with the movements. He tried to slow himself but needed to be deeper with her more than anything. He slowed himself down and pulled all of the way out of her pussy before slamming back in over and over again. Ben pulled her up against him to kiss her, plunging his tongue into her mouth with need. The change in angle made Ben groan incoherently and the sound made Rey coat his cock in more wetness.

"Rey, I'm going to come, I need you to come," he stuttered. Rey shook her head in approval and leaned back against the bed, nearly bringing Ben with her. Ben brought his thumb down on her clit and rubbed against her eagerly, helping her chase her release.

"Almost there, almost the.." Rey's words choked off as she started to unravel under him. His thrusts became frantic and off timed with hers and he heard his own voice letting out a string of cursing as he came violently. Rey came a second after him, clenching around his cock desperately. Both of them lay there breathlessly for a few minutes, basking in the closeness between them. Rey was in absolute bliss, feeling the high from their orgasm and the happiness and affection coming from Ben.

"Yeah, I pretty much aced that, Rey." Rey turned over to glare at Ben, but couldn't contain her laughter at how serious his face looked.

"I love you, Ben," she whispered. He brushed his lips against hers lightly and mentally responded that he loved her too. Ben calmed his breathing as he stared up at the ceiling of his quarters, wondering how he ever could have gotten lucky enough to find someone who fits him so completely. Rey laid her head against his chest, feeling sated and relaxed, listening to Ben's strong heart beating beneath her. He felt her eyes fluttering as she slipped off into a deep sleep.

Ben closed his eyes and started to drift into her dreams.

"Enjoying yourself, are you, my apprentice?"

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first chapter of my fic. I really hope y'all liked it. If you have any pointers or recommendations for me, let me know! Thank you guys!


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